The present invention relates to a portable intravenous infusion apparatus that can be taken out of a hanger and carried by a patient when the patient leaves the bed, particularly to an automatic control-type, portable intravenous infusion apparatus capable of keeping the amount of an infusion liquid substantially at a constant level safely and surely, and a jacket for carrying such a portable intravenous infusion apparatus.
A conventional infusion liquid container is suspended from a hanger to infuse a liquid in the bag into a patient by the action of gravity. When the patient leaves the bed, the patient should move with the infusion liquid container suspended from the hanger. Accordingly, the freedom of patient""s body is restricted, causing the hospitalized patient""s life painful.
Under such circumstances, proposal has been made to provide, as an instillator that can be carried by a patient freely, a portable intravenous infusion apparatus comprising a pressurizing bag having a sheet member fixed thereto along both side ends; a manual air pump for supplying a pressurizing air to the pressurizing bag; and an infusion liquid container disposed between the pressurizing bag and the sheet member, the pressurizing bag being inflated to press the infusion liquid container, thereby causing the infusion liquid to drop from a tube connected to the bag, and such portable intravenous infusion apparatus is commercially sold. However, because the pressurizing air is manually supplied, the handling of this portable intravenous infusion apparatus is troublesome with pressure in the pressurizing bag largely variable, and it is difficult to keep the dropping speed of the infusion liquid constant.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable intravenous infusion apparatus that can be taken out of a hanger and carried by a patient when the patient leaves the bed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic control-type, portable intravenous infusion apparatus capable of being carried by a patient freely and providing a substantially constant dropping speed of an infusion liquid safely and surely.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a jacket that a patient can wear to carry such a portable intravenous infusion apparatus.
As a result of intense research in view of the above objects, the inventors have found that by providing an infusion liquid container with a means for applying a substantially constant pressure to an infusion liquid in the container, the infusion liquid can be infused substantially at a constant speed to the patient without necessitating it to use the action of gravity by hanging, and that by providing a pressurizing bag for holding an infusion liquid container with an air pump for automatically supplying a pressurizing air to the pressurizing bag, and by controlling a supply speed of the pressurizing air and/or the dropping speed of the infusion liquid based on the air pressure in the pressurizing bag and/or the dropping speed of the infusion liquid, it is possible to automatically control the dropping speed of the infusion liquid substantially constant safely and surely. The inventors have also found that a patient can easily carry such a portable intravenous infusion apparatus with a jacket having pockets for receiving an infusion liquid container and a pressure-applying means. The present invention has been completed based on these findings.
Thus, the portable intravenous infusion apparatus according to the present invention comprises an infusion liquid container; an infusion liquid tube communicating with the infusion liquid container; an infusion needle mounted to a tip end of the infusion liquid tube; and a means for applying a substantially constant pressure to the infusion liquid container.
The pressure-applying means preferably comprises (a) a pressurizing bag inflatable by charging air; (b) a sheet member having each side end fixed to each side end of the pressurizing bag, a width of the sheet member being slightly larger than a lateral width of the pressurizing bag in a deflated state; (c) an air tube communicating with the pressurizing bag; (d) an air-supplying means mounted to the air tube; (e) and a safety valve mounted to the air tube, wherein the infusion liquid container is disposed in a space between the pressurizing bag and the sheet member, and wherein the pressurizing bag is inflated by the introduction of air by the air-supplying means, whereby a substantially constant pressure is applied to the infusion liquid container to cause an infusion liquid to flow therefrom.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressure-applying means comprises (a) an annular pressurizing bag comprising a plurality of air chambers inflatable inwardly by charging air; (b) an air tube communicating with the annular pressurizing bag; and (c) an air-supplying means mounted to the air tube, wherein the infusion liquid container is disposed in a space defined by an inner wall of the annular pressurizing bag, and wherein the pressurizing bag is inflated inwardly by the introduction of air by the air-supplying means, whereby a substantially constant pressure is applied to the infusion liquid container to cause an infusion liquid to flow therefrom.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressure-applying means comprises (a) an inflatable balloon disposed inside the infusion liquid container; (b) an air tube communicating with the balloon; and (c) an air-supplying means mounted to the air tube, wherein the balloon is inflated by the introduction of air by the air-supplying means, whereby a substantially constant pressure is applied to the infusion liquid container to cause an infusion liquid to flow therefrom.
In a still further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressure-applying means comprises (a) an infusion needle disposed inside the infusion liquid container; (b) an air tube communicating with the infusion needle; and (c) an air-supplying means mounted to the air tube, wherein air is introduced into the infusion liquid container through the infusion needle by the air-supplying means, whereby a substantially constant pressure is applied to the infusion liquid container to cause an infusion liquid to flow therefrom.
The first automatic control-type, portable intravenous infusion apparatus according to the present invention comprises (a) a pressurizing bag means for holding an infusion liquid container to pressurize the infusion liquid container to cause an infusion liquid to flow therefrom; (b) an air pump for supplying a pressurizing air to the pressurizing bag means; (c) a pressure sensor for detecting pressure in the pressurizing bag means; and (d) a control means for controlling the amount of air supplied from the air pump to the pressurizing bag means depending on an output of the pressure sensor, wherein the pressure in the pressurizing bag means is compared with a reference pressure by the control means, and wherein the air pump is operated when the pressure in the pressurizing bag means is lower than the reference pressure, thereby increasing the pressure of the pressurizing bag means to keep the dropping speed of the infusion liquid substantially constant.
The second automatic control-type, portable intravenous infusion apparatus according to the present invention comprises (a) a pressurizing bag means for holding an infusion liquid container to pressurize the infusion liquid container to cause an infusion liquid to flow therefrom; (b) an air pump for supplying a pressurizing air to the pressurizing bag means; (c) a drop counter mounted to a drip-monitoring tube for counting the dropping of the infusion liquid; and (d) a control means for controlling the amount of air supplied from the air pump to the pressurizing bag means depending on an output of the drop counter, wherein the count number of infusion liquid drops measured by the drop counter is compared with a reference drop count number by the control means, and wherein the air pump is operated when the measured drop count number is smaller than the reference drop count number, thereby increasing the pressure of the pressurizing bag means to keep the dropping speed of the infusion liquid substantially constant.
The third automatic control-type, portable intravenous infusion apparatus according to the present invention comprises (a) a pressurizing bag means for holding an infusion liquid container to pressurize the infusion liquid container to cause an infusion liquid to flow therefrom; (b) an air pump for supplying a pressurizing air to the pressurizing bag means; (c) a drop counter mounted to a drip-monitoring tube for counting the dropping of the infusion liquid; (d) a clamp device mounted to the infusion liquid tube for controlling the amount of the infusion liquid flowing through the infusion liquid tube; and (e) a control means for controlling the clamp device depending on an output of the drop counter, wherein the count number of infusion liquid drops measured by the drop counter is compared with a reference drop count number by the control means, and wherein the clamp device is operated to decrease or increase the dropping speed of the infusion liquid when the measured drop count number is larger or smaller than the reference drop count number, thereby controlling the dropping speed of the infusion liquid substantially constant.
The automatic control-type, portable intravenous infusion apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises (a) a pressurizing bag means for holding an infusion liquid container to pressurize the infusion liquid container to cause an infusion liquid to flow therefrom; (b) an air pump for supplying a pressurizing air to the pressurizing bag means; (c) a pressure sensor for detecting pressure in the pressurizing bag means; (d) a drop counter mounted to a drip-monitoring tube for counting the dropping of the infusion liquid; (e) a clamp device mounted to the infusion liquid tube for controlling the amount of the infusion liquid flowing through the infusion liquid tube; and (f) a control means receiving an output of the pressure sensor and/or an output of the drop counter to generate a signal for controlling the air pump and/or the clamp device, wherein the comparison of the measured pressure of the pressurizing bag means with a reference pressure and the comparison of the measured drop count number with the reference drop count number are carried out by the control means, wherein the air pump is operated and/or the clamp device is operated to open the infusion liquid tube when the measured pressure of the pressurizing bag means is lower than the reference pressure, and/or when the measured drop count number is smaller than the reference drop count number, and wherein the air pump is stopped and/or the clamp device is operated to clamp the infusion liquid tube when the measured pressure of the pressurizing bag means is higher than the reference pressure, and/or when the measured drop count number is larger than the reference drop count number, thereby keeping the dropping speed of the infusion liquid substantially constant.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the infusion liquid tube is further provided with a bubble sensor, and the air tube is further provided with a safety valve, both of the bubble sensor and the safety valve being connected to the control means, whereby the safety valve is opened when the bubble sensor detects a bubble in the infusion liquid flowing through the infusion liquid tube.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the infusion liquid tube is further provided with a bubble sensor and a clamp device both connected to the control means, whereby the clamp device clamps the infusion liquid tube when the bubble sensor detects a bubble in the infusion liquid flowing through the infusion liquid tube.
In a still further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the infusion liquid tube is further provided with a bubble sensor and a clamp device, and the air tube is further provided with a safety valve, all of the bubble sensor, the clamp device and the safety valve being connected to a control means, whereby the safety valve is opened, and the clamp device is operated to clamp the infusion liquid tube, when the bubble sensor detects a bubble in the infusion liquid flowing through the infusion liquid tube.
In a still further preferred embodiment of the present invention, when pressure abnormally increases in the pressurizing bag means, the air pump is stopped, the safety valve is opened, and a buzzer and/or a lamp alarms the irregularity of pressure in the pressurizing bag means.
In a still further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressurizing bag means comprises a pressurizing bag and a sheet member having both side ends fixed to the pressurizing bag, and the infusion liquid container is disposed in a space between the pressurizing bag and the sheet member, the pressurizing bag being provided with a mechanical safety valve for releasing pressure when the pressure of the pressurizing bag exceeds a predetermined level.
The jacket for holding the (automatic control-type) portable intravenous infusion apparatus according to the present invention has a front-open structure comprising a pair of front parts, each of the front parts having a pocket for receiving the pressurizing bag means and the infusion liquid container, a pocket for receiving the pressure-applying means connected to the pressurizing bag means, and a horizontally extending pocket for supporting an arm to which the infusion needle is stuck, and each of the front parts further having a hook at shoulder for suspending the infusion liquid container.